Is Microdosing a Placebo?
June 4, 2023 preprint DOI: 10.31234/osf.io/3ykst (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Review |
|---|---|
| Topics | Microdosing |
| Keywords | Placebo Expectancy theory Microdose Dose dependence Selection bias Pharmacology |
| Citations | 2 |
| Key findings | It is not yet possible to determine whether microdosing psychedelics is a placebo, because the existing evidence has too many limitations. |
Abstract
Some recent research and commentary have suggested that most or all the effects reported by people who microdose psychedelics may be explained by expectations or placebo effects. Here we step through all the available evidence from dose-controlled studies that have investigated the effects of low doses of LSD and psilocybin. We suggest eight reasons why current claims that microdosing is predominately a placebo are premature and possibly wrong: 1) there have been only a small number of controlled studies; 2) studies have had small sample sizes; 3) there is evidence of dose-dependent effects; 4) studies have only investigated the effects of a small number of doses; 5) the doses investigated may have been too small; 6) studies have looked only at non-clinical populations; 7) studies so far have been susceptible to selection bias; and 8) the measured impact of expectancy is small. Considering the available evidence, we conclude that it is not yet possible to determine whether microdosing is a placebo.
Comparable studies
Other narrative reviews on microdosing, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Big physics, small doses: the use of AMS and PET in human microdosing of development drugs | 2003 | Review | |
| Phase 0/microdosing approaches: time for mainstream application in drug development? | 2020 | Review | |
| Microdosing and drug development: past, present and future | 2013 | Review | |
| Microdosing and Other Phase 0 Clinical Trials: Facilitating Translation in Drug Development | 2016 | Review | |
| Expectancy Effects in Psychedelic Trials. | 2024 | Review |
Citations in the library
Cited by 2
Cites 29
- Psilocybin-occasioned mystical-type experience in combination with meditation and other spiritual practices produces enduring positive changes in psychological functioning and in trait measures of prosocial attitudes and behaviors Journal of Psychopharmacology October 11, 2017
- Psychedelic effects of psilocybin correlate with serotonin 2A receptor occupancy and plasma psilocin levels Neuropsychopharmacology January 26, 2019
- Self-blinding citizen science to explore psychedelic microdosing. Elife March 2, 2021
- Exploring the effect of microdosing psychedelics on creativity in an open-label natural setting Psychopharmacology October 24, 2018
- Acute Subjective and Behavioral Effects of Microdoses of Lysergic Acid Diethylamide in Healthy Human Volunteers Biological Psychiatry June 3, 2019
and 24 more in the library